118THCONGRESS
2
DSESSION S. 3859
AN ACT
To ensure that homicides can be prosecuted under Federal
law without regard to the time elapsed between the act
or omission that caused the death of the victim and
the death itself.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 2
†S 3859 ES
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Justice for Murder 2
Victims Act’’. 3
SEC. 2. HOMICIDE OFFENSES. 4
(a) I
NGENERAL.—Chapter 51 of title 18, United 5
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-6
lowing: 7
‘‘§ 1123. No maximum time period between act or 8
omission and death of victim 9
‘‘(a) I
NGENERAL.—A prosecution may be instituted 10
for any homicide offense under this title without regard 11
to the time that elapsed between— 12
‘‘(1) the act or omission that caused the death 13
of the victim; and 14
‘‘(2) the death of the victim. 15
‘‘(b) R
ELATION TOSTATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.— 16
Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to supersede 17
the limitations period under section 3282(a), to the extent 18
applicable. 19
‘‘(c) M
AXIMUMTIMEPERIODAPPLICABLE IFDEATH 20
P
ENALTYIMPOSED.—A sentence of death may not be im-21
posed for a homicide offense under this title unless the 22
Government proves beyond a reasonable doubt that not 23
more than 1 year and 1 day elapsed between— 24
‘‘(1) the act or omission that caused the death 25
of the victim; and 26 3
†S 3859 ES
‘‘(2) the death of the victim.’’. 1
(b) T
ABLE OFCONTENTS.—The table of sections for 2
chapter 51 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 3
by adding at the end the following: 4
‘‘1123. No maximum time period between act or omission and death of victim.’’.
(c) APPLICABILITY.—Section 1123(a) of title 18, 5
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall 6
apply with respect to an act or omission described in that 7
section that occurs after the date of enactment of this Act. 8
(d) M
AXIMUMPENALTY FORFIRST-DEGREEMUR-9
DERBASED ONTIMEPERIODBETWEENACT OROMIS-10
SION ANDDEATH OFVICTIM.—Section 1111(b) of title 11
18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 12
‘‘imprisonment for life’’ the following: ‘‘, unless the death 13
of the victim occurred more than 1 year and 1 day after 14
the act or omission that caused the death of the victim, 15
in which case the punishment shall be imprisonment for 16
any term of years or for life’’. 17
Passed the Senate February 29, 2024.
Attest:
Secretary. 118
TH
CONGRESS
2
D
S
ESSION
S. 3859
AN ACT
To ensure that homicides can be prosecuted under
Federal law without regard to the time elapsed
between the act or omission that caused the
death of the victim and the death itself.